The presentation of the lives of the underprivileged in India’s major cities, Mumbai and Kolkata predominantly, has been one of the bases of local filmmaking, particularly for the titles that screen abroad. Ishaan Ghose focuses his story on the latter city through the lives of two individuals, although his presentation differs significantly, both in terms of context and audiovisuals. It is also worth noting that “Morichika” is essentially a one-man-show, particularly behind the camera, as Ghose has taken upon himself the roles of director, writer, DP, editor and production designer.
Morichika is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam

As the film begins, we watch the first protagonist, Priya, giving birth to her child without the father being present, with the reasons being revealed a bit later in the movie. After this, we watch the young girl raising her baby on her own while working at a small restaurant and shooting online make-up tutorials in an effort to support the two of them. The father eventually appears, but his ways just make things worse for her. Kishan is a Hindi-speaker from the neighbouring state of Bihar, who has come to the city to find employment. Working as a welder and in construction, he barely manages to make enough to sustain himself, while the hard work takes a toll on his health. Through the friendship of another man in a similar situation, though, he finally finds some companionship and his life begins to improve, even if mildly.
Ghose directs a movie that unfolds in three axes, with the stories of the protagonists providing the first two and the depiction of life in Kolkata the third. Probably the most intriguing part of the movie, though, is the last one, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the filmmaker does not restrict himself in the usual view of misery in the city, focusing on poor and frequently uneducated individuals, but also presents elements of youth culture, which includes modern dancing and western-style music, in an element very rarely depicted in local cinema. Add to that the fact that the protagonist is a YouTuber and you have a breath of fresh air in the presentation of life in the megalopolis.
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Secondly, the audiovisual approach, which frequently moves into music-video style, is equally unique, particularly because, in contrast to usual practices, does not include people suddenly starting to sing and dance, but a combination of music and images that result in a series of truly impressive sequences. Particularly the ones with the extreme weather will definitely stay on mind, but all these are actually memorable, additionally for the use of mostly electronic music, with the job done by Rajarshi Das and Soumajit Ghosh in the department being among the movie’s best traits.
At the same time, the comments deriving from the narrative are as impactful as they are eloquently presented. Patriarchy and particularly the role of women in the particular society is highlighted by Priya’s life and her relationship with the father of her child, in a story of neglect and abuse that is quite dramatic. Granted, the acting of the father is not exactly great, but Mriyanka Banerjee‘s as Priya definitely compensates, with the video recording after her interaction with him being among the most memorable in the whole movie.
Kishan on the other hand, represents all those people who come to Kolkata searching for a better life but are swallowed by the megalopolis, with loneliness becoming a factor both in psychological and in physical terms. The fact that Kishan finds a friend eventually adds a note of optimism in the film, which actually extends to both arcs, although the aforementioned realism also lingers, finding its apogee in the ‘burying’ scene, another rather memorable one here. Aniket Ghosh in the role is also quite good, particularly in the most dramatic moments.
Ghose’s cinematography combines impression (in the music-video like sequences) with documentary-like realism (in the plethora of scenes in the streets of the city) in an approach that works quite nicely for the movie. His own editing results in a mid-tempo that fits the narrative, although some lagging and some scenes solely aiming at impression do appear here and there.
Despite this issue, however, and perhaps a somewhat overlong duration of 133 minutes, “Morichika” emerges as a very competent film that combines substance with impression, and a breath of fresh air in the presentation of Indian cinema outside the borders of the country.